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In October, 1805, a Russian army was occupying the villages and

towns of the Archduchy of Austria, and yet other regiments

freshly arriving from Russia were settling near the fortress of

Braunau and burdening the inhabitants on whom they were

quartered. Braunau was the headquarters of the commander in

chief, Kutuzov.

On October 11, 1805, one of the infantry regiments that had just

reached Braunau had halted half a mile from the town, waiting to

be inspected by the commander in chief. Despite the un-Russian

appearance of the locality and surroundings-fruit gardens, stone

fences, tiled roofs, and hills in the distance-and despite the

fact that the inhabitants (who gazed with curiosity at the

soldiers) were not Russians, the regiment had just the appearance

of any Russian regiment preparing for an inspection anywhere in

the heart of Russia.